Dear Editor,
AS I read the news today, I am taken aback at what I would describe as the forthrightness of the Organisation of American States (OAS) with reference to the report by the former Prime Minister of Jamaica, Mr. Bruce Golding, as the Head of the OAS Observer Mission, on our March 2, 2020 Elections. While I, like many Guyanese, appreciate the intervention of the OAS as well as the international community, in my view, the OAS as an international organization ought to be more sensitive and diplomatic with how it is treating with this matter relative to Guyana’s elections.
Having read the OAS’ statement, I have several questions: What is the source of Mr. Golding’s information that he used in his comparison with that of the Region 4 Returning Officer’s? If the OAS must defend this information, the source of the information ought to be unbiased. The examples Mr. Golding provided were very specific, I thought, for his level of reporting. Did he collect this information on Elections Day? Why is it that Mr. Golding and the OAS are focusing so much on Region 4, when the recount process is for all ten regions? What was the method that he used to collect this data? Did he collect it on the day of Elections, or did he collect it subsequently, and from where? Essentially, my question is: What is the source of this information? I am just being scientific here.
Another question is: If this information is accurate, and it is contrary to that of the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM) information, why is it that the OAS seems to be intent on wanting to embarrass and discredit GECOM and not have a more diplomatic posture? Why is it that the OAS seems to be intent on embarrassing GECOM despite its having already taken a decision to conduct a recount, and the recount process is currently being done? Mind you, I have issues with Mr. Mingo’s results, but the point is, I am not the OAS.
In the interest of democracy and upholding rule of law, one would think that the OAS would want to promote stability in Guyana and not foster a destabilisation process. One would think that the OAS would applaud the decision of GECOM to conduct the recount, in the interest of transparency, and having a more credible and certifiable declaration of the results of the Elections?
Why does it seem that Mr. Golding and the OAS want to declare ‘war’ on Guyana? I say this as someone who knows the Guyanese society inside out. I have, what I would say is, a fairly good understanding of the intricacies and underlying issues in Guyana, so the OAS needs to change its posture. How is the OAS going to come back and help us to heal if they are so involved, to the point where they are perceived as biased?
We are all trying to grapple with this intense and extensive level of intervention into Guyana’s affairs. We are not accustomed to it, and we are trying to adapt and adjust appropriately. We really do want the involvement of the OAS and international community, but what we don’t want is for your approach to broaden the divide, and nurture the underlying racial, ethnic, class, and political issues in our society, and your current approach is doing so to a large extent. And this is not about supporting the APNU+AFC government, and not supporting the PPP/C; this is about after this electoral process, we have to live with each other. The truth is, personally, one side of me wants the PPP/C to win, and another side wants the APNU/AFC to win for different reasons.
While the OAS and the international community are examining this as merely a case of promoting democracy, rule of law and economic interest; it is more than that for many Guyanese.
Let me explain the sensitivities behind what is happening in Guyana and the need to treat this elections matter with the much sensitivity. Many of the supporters of the APNU+AFC are of the that the No Confidence Motion that was passed in December 2018, was a ‘coup’ against their government. They are convinced that elements in the political sphere had something to do with it. Now many of them are of the view that the international community is now colluding with some of the same elements in the political sphere, to get their government out. The big challenge is that they also have major issues from previous governance practices of some of those elements.
The PPP/C and many of their supporters on the other hand are convinced that their party won the elections and want to see their government sworn in. While at the same time, the APNU+AFC is also claiming that they win the elections; but we all know that there cannot be two winners.
So, here is where I think that GECOM’s decision to conduct the recount, is commendable. We can either cut this baby (Guyana) in half and give a half of the dead baby to the PPP/C and the other half to the dead baby to APNU/AFC; or OAS and the international community can support this recount process, quietly and diplomatically and see it through to completion. The recount is possibly the only way that both party supporters will accept the results from the elections.
The OAS and the international community have to give Guyanese more credit, where are have integrity and will not support a government that does not reflect the will of the people. We will NOT support a dictator! We want a resolution to this current impasse be we do not want a war in the process. We think that we are mature enough, smart enough, love each other enough, love our country enough, so my request is that you step back a bit, and support us as friends of the APNU+AFC and the PPP/C and the independent supporters.
One of my heroes in this process, is the Caricom Community. CARICOM, we appreciate that in this our difficult moment, that you are not the first to past judgement; nations take a long, long time to develop the kind of synergies needed for growth and development and sustainability and we are on that road.
Yours faithfully,
Citizen Audreyanna Thomas
Source: https://issuu.com/guyanachroniclee-paper/docs/guyana_chronicle_epaper_16_05_2020